Turkish Airlines cancelled flight TK1940 from Brussels to Istanbul on Thursday after Belgian aviation police found the co-pilot intoxicated at Brussels Airport. The Airbus A321neo, registered TC-LTN, had already boarded more than 100 passengers when the departure, scheduled for 11:10 local time, was first delayed and then scrapped.
The airline had alerted authorities before departure over a suspicion that the co-pilot had been drinking. Police carried out a breath test that came back positive, after which the public prosecutor’s office in Halle-Vilvoorde imposed a 24-hour flying ban and began preparing a report.
The incident created an immediate operational disruption at Zaventem, with replacement travel arrangements for passengers not immediately clear. It also raises potential licensing and criminal consequences for the co-pilot, while the aircraft remains grounded as the investigation continues.